A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2003 Kids crafts for the Holidays.

Kids crafts for the Holidays.

I'll add along the way.......

Here's one for all those little fingers
to keep busy while they're over visiting
Gramma, or Auntie or Mommy!!
(Grampa, or Uncle or Daddy too!!)

#1. Little brown pine cones. (opened like)
Colored pop corn (un popped)
Glue
Round Piece of cardboard for base.
The pine cone is used as a Christmas tree.
The cardboard circle is glued to the bottom
as a stand for the tree.
Take the pcs of colored popcorn, and glue
a little side of it and stick it to a "bough"
When it's all done, it looks like the
"tree has a string of colored lights on it"

It's such a fun idea for the wee~ones.

Weezie

I like these kind of ideas! I have 2 nieces (10 and almost 5) that love to do crafts with me.
Good one Weezie You know thrifty me (recycle when I can).

Does anybody have any kids projects that I can use OLD crayons that are broken, used etc.? Have a katrillion of those to use up!
Catlover

Karen,
I'll check into the popcorn.
I know my sister some times
had problems finding it.

And there is a machine out there
that can melt your crayola crayons
back into new crayons.
Have seen it on either QVC or HSN.
I'll check for you!!
If that's an idea..

Weezie

I'll post more....

And if anyone else has any to add,
I'm always looking for ideas too!

Weezie I don't want the crayons anymore I just want a way to use them in a craft with the kids. When my kids were young they (I think)shaved them, put waxed paper on top???and on bottom???, then melted with a low iron????? Darned if I can remember that was along time ago!!!

I'm really interested if the dye(food coloring) would work for my leftover popcorn. I love to experiment. Guess that came from my dad being a research chemist. Think I will try some tonight and see what happens. Wonder if I should dilute the stuff and how long to soak it????

I wouldn't see why you couldn't!!
But then again, maybe the popcorn would
open up from the water???
Not sure.
The stuff my sister got came in a jar.

I'll call her tomorrow!!

Weezie

Do you have old Christmas cards???
#1. Old Christmas cards
#2. punch holer
#3. elmers glue
#4. glitter (any color)


Well, keep them, let the kids have them.
Get some scissors, either yours or theirs.
Cut circles, (use the bottom of cans, cups, anything circle shape) from the cards,
cut out the stars or santa, or snow
or what ever the pictures.......
We did the angels for church.

Take a punch holer and make a hole at the top.
String some yarn, red or green for X~mas.

Then, take some elmers glue, ring the outside
then sprinkle with glitter... It's so pretty.

They make awesome, handmade, special ornaments for the Christmas tree.
At first I looked at them, and thought, ok,
I'll put it with the rest, and now, every year
I really enjoy looking at them, and remember each holiday past... And they are sooo cute too!!

Weezie

Another nifty idea....and yes I have all that "stuff".
Catlover <img border="0" alt="[clappy]" title="" src="graemlins/clappy.gif" />

Catlover...when my kids were younger, we used to make simple candles with old crayons, paraffin, and wicks. We used an old coffee can (or old pan) to melt the paraffin in...just throw in some crayon pieces for color, and then pour the melted wax into a container and put the wick in the center. You can buy wicks and paraffin at craft stores, also candle forms, but we usually just used something like paper milk cartons...they're sturdy and you can usually get the candles to come out easily, and if not, peel the paper away. When you put the wick in, fasten the top end to a popsicle stick or something to lay across the top of your container to hold the wick in place until the wax sets up. If you melt small batches of paraffin, you can layer the candles with different colors to make them striped. Of course it is a must that there is plenty of adult supervision, but it can be a fun way to spend an afternoon and get rid of crayons too.
You can also pour the wax into those little jelly jars or mason jars or some sort of srurdy glass containers and leave it.

If you want to make this a two-step project, mix some plain melted paraffin with sand and press it into some sort of form (a glass or metal bowl or something along those lines)like you would a graham cracker crust, only fairly thick...an inch or so. When it hardens, you can make the colored wax and pour it into your sand form and put a wick or multiple wicks in it and you've created a "sand candle". It's really kind of fun to make these candles and although I haven't done it for years, the paraffin and wicks used to be very economical to buy.

Weezie, another idea for old Christmas cards...
Cut the backs off, arrange and glue the decorated fronts on a piece of colored tagboard cut to the size you want your placemats. You can also glue on glitter, confetti, ribbons etc. Allow to dry and then put clear contact paper on both sides leaving enough around the edges so that the contact paper seals to itself. Use your imagination and you can come up with all sorts of pretty placemats for your holiday table or your everyday table during the holiday season. Makes the kids feel pretty special to know that they made or helped make the placemats! <img border="0" alt="[clappy]" title="" src="graemlins/clappy.gif" />

I like your ideas Iowa Novice. ? is....is it okay to burn crayons in a candle? How much crayon per candle should be used.
I have seen the sand ones before but never knew how they did it.

We are all going to my sisters this year for Xmas so that would really be something special I can do with her kids. Kids and I could keep it a secret until Xmas dinner.....JUST OUR LITTLE SECRET!!!!!!! Those kids just love to keep little harmless secrets. It's really fun!!! The littlest one does a lot of giggling and looking at me and then giggling again. You know somethings up but she won't tell!
Catlover

Catlover,
Yes, it's fine to use crayons for coloring in parafin because they're basically just made of paraffin and coloring themselves and are non-toxic. As for how much to use, start with a small "chunk" of crayon and see how much color you get from it...while in liquid form, the wax will be much darker than when it cools and solidifies, so use more for darker coloring, and less for lighter shades. It really is a matter of experimenting, so I would say to just put in a bit to start with...dip out a little drop or two, put it on wax paper or paper towel or something and pop it in the freezer for a quick look at the approximate shade you will end up with...then if you want it darker, just add a bit more...make sense?

I got a kick out of your description of the little one with the giggles Kids are wonderful at that age! Actually I think kids are wonderful at any age...a little trying at times, but wonderful just the same!

Since Halloween is just around the corner....I thought some of you might get a kick out of this site. Take a look around and have some fun.

Click here

Have you ever made cinnamon ornaments? I just found the ones my daughter and i made last year and they STILL SMELL WONDERFUL!

What you need is a cheap bottle of cinnamon
(check the dollar store, they can be found!)
a few TBSP of applesauce
White glue

Mix it until it forms a ball,
then roll it out and stamp out shapes with cookie cutters.
Add holes at the tops for ribbon or string. (Be generous with the holes, as these will shrink as they dry.)
It takes a good 24 hours to completely dry.
Decorate with glitter glue if you like.
Add ribbon or metallic thread to hang on tree, doorknobs, windowlatches, gifts or wherever.

These are non toxic, but are not meant to be eaten. They make the whole house smell so spicy and warm. One of our friends used his on the rearview mirror of his car as an air freshener! Little kids love rolling out the dough, but may need help lifting the ornament after it has been stamped out. We like to make these around the first of December.

Oh Bess, me and the other boyscout mother
were just talking about these Wednesday.
We loooooooooove those.
And since we have to have the boys make some
thing for their mothers for X~mas, that's
what we were thinking of having them do!!
(Cause we love them sooooooo much!!)

Thanks for the info!!!
I can smell the cinnamin from here.
That's got to be one of my most favorite smells.

Weezie

Me too, and I absolutely CRAVE it when the weather starts turning cold. I used to have cinnamon perfume. i wonder if anyone makes that stuff any more...

Sorry if I was vague in the above ingredients for the cinnamon ornaments, but it is rather a feel-your-way through it kind of thing. I add a few rops of glue at a time until the desired doughy consistancy is reached.

Great idea to have kids make them as gifts for their Moms, Weez!

oops!
I meant "drops of glue", not "rops of glue!"

Must've ropped my d!

Bess,
I got a few extra D's for ya!!

This is a great tongue twister for the kids,

Di dut a denny in da dum dot,
dee da dum do down,
dou det dhe dapper,
di det da dum,
dor di dut da
denny in da dum dot, dee???

Just take the d's off and it goes,

I put a penny in the gum slot,
see the gum go down,
you get the wrapper,
I get the gum,
for I put the
penny in the gum slot, see???

My oldest had a heck of a time learnin' that,
but he has some fun with it now, when we
stand at the gum ball machine........

Weezie